Vanessa Hudgens Is No Superhero

Vanessa Hudgens Is Quirky & Brilliant In New TV Role

Vanessa Hudgens is no Supergirl, but she does have an extraordinary ability to surprise us. The High School Musical star — who most recently slayed as Rizzo in Grease Live! — is returning to the small screen for something completely different.

Hudgens will star on upcoming NBC sitcom Powerless, and the new trailer proves that it's her quirkiest role yet.

The new D.C. Comics series is a twist on the ever-popular superhero show. Instead of revolving around a particular hero, like The CW's Arrow, the sitcom follows the people who clean up their messes. Hudgens' character Emily works at Wayne Security developing products that will protect people from superhero-related incidents — like, say, a tossed bus falling onto your car.

Powerless is a change of gear for Hudgens. Though she has appeared on sitcoms like The Suite Life of Zack and Cody in her early Disney days, most of her recent work has been serious dramas. Some of her recent roles include playing a pregnant teen in Gimme Shelter (2013), and a prostitute searching for the serial killer who abducted her in The Frozen Ground (2013) — pretty heavy stuff. Could Powerless turn Hudgens into a bonafide sitcom darling? My hopes are sky-high, but we'll find out for sure when the series airs on February 2, 2017.